Midnight Tides/Chapter 6
Trate Three ships sail towards Trate's harbour and a ship's pilot scow sets out intercept them. The scow backs away in panic as they approach too close. An alarm bell clangs out in panic as shadowy shapes swarm through the rigging of the three ships. A bound sea spirit carries the three ships on its back like passengers as it approaches Trate Harbour. The easing of the massive pressure that had kept it bound for centuries and the warmth of sunlight has caused the spirit to grow to immense size. The spirit carries the ships high on a tremendous wave and panic ensues through the streets of Trate as the wave crashes down on ships and people alike, leaving devastation in its wake. The demon spirit withdraws from the bay. Ceda Kuru Qan, in Lether, leagues to the southeast observes the event through the tiles of the Cedance. Letheras, Eternal Domicile Brys Beddict is investigating the problems of two of the five wings of the Eternal Domicile. The security passages below are filled with muddy water and rats from constant water seepage. The other three wings are suffering from subsidence. His eyes widen when he hears that Bugg's Construction has undertaken the repairs to the subsiding wings. A shout draws his attention to the passageway below and a mass of rats is approaching. It is the ratcatcher Ormly with his trophies. Letheras, Old Palace Brys returns to the palace to find it in uproar over the sorcery used to against Trate. As he passes through the palace he notices Turudal Brizad, the Queen's consort, a silent and watchful man who was often present at meetings dealing with matters of state. Brys finds him strangely disturbing. The First Eunuch Nifadas, questions Brys on his knowledge of sea demons and asks if the one used at Trate has a place in the Hold. Nifadas talks about Lether being formed of colonists from the First Empire who first discovered the Holds and observes the Empty Hold was a later manifestation. He speculates that the demon who carried the ships is Mael, a Faraed mythical (to the Letherii) Elder God, now chained by the Tiste Edur. Brys is commanded to explore this possibility with the help of the Ceda. In the chamber of the Cedence the Ceda tells Brys he is to undertake a journey of the mind, using a tile of the Hold, Dolmen. Letheras, Tehol's residence Bugg and Tehol Beddict are discussing Tehol's newly knitted trousers and the first success in their plan to divest Gerun Eberict of his wealth and status. Tehol is taking Shurq Elalle to visit Selush, an embalmer, with the aim of improving Shurq's appearance. On the way she tells Tehol that it is Kettle who is removing Gerun Eberict’s spies and feeding them to the Azath. Deep below the sea Brys is thrown into the tile of the Dolmen by the Ceda and finds himself on the sea bed. He approaches some enormous vertical shapes, six dolmens, with carved surfaces. Beneath the carved glyphs he can make out different figures and thinks the glyphs have created a prison of some sort for the figures within. On each side of each dolmen, is a different figure, but on the fourth dolmen, one of the sides is empty and he realises something is loose. A huge figure wreathed in black armour approaches him and accuses him of having stolen the missing figure. Brys tells it he has no use for demons and is told that these are forgotten gods and not demons, that the glyphs are not a prison but a sanctuary created by Mael to prevent them vanishing by being forgotten. It tells Brys that the one who is missing had his name obliterated and was bound by a new name becoming a slave. The Guardian then attacks Brys, who is equal to the task, but shows the dark warrior mercy when he sees his wounds. Brys offers to heal him with his own blood to prevent the power of the Guardian from leaving him, and offers his unbreakable Letherii sword to aid him in his task. After he has healed the Guardian, Brys asks for the names of those forgotten gods, so that while he is alive none other can enslave them. As the names sear into his head he awakens in the chamber of the tiles and tells Kuru Qan of his discovery. Letheras, Errant's Heel Bugg visits a Nerek family whose grandmother, whilst begging for coins, was killed by Gerun Eberict in anger at losing his spies. The family ask for his blessing. 01